Bengals @ Cowboys
Final Score: Bengals 27 – Cowboys 20
Writer: Brendan Boe (@BeeBoeFF on Twitter)
It was a little too close for comfort for the Bengals, who have lost too many games for a team that regularly puts up 30+ points. Even then, they were rescued by a horrendous blunder by the Cowboys, who blocked the punt but then TOUCHED THE BALL, only for the Bengals to make the recovery. This set up the game-winner by none other than Ja’Marr Chase, who was once again far and away the top wide receiver in the NFL. The contest itself was neck and neck throughout, as both teams took the lead from each other, with a portion of the 4th quarter being tied 20-20.
Five Up
- Ja’Marr Chase – The #1 wide receiver on the season came out and did #1 things again. He accounted for nearly half of the team’s receiving yards, a vast majority of the targets, and 2 glorious touchdowns.
- Joe Burrow – 75% completion rate, 300+ yards, and 3 touchdowns – yet only two players were effective in the receiving game (and you could probably guess who accounted for a massive share of these passing yards.)
- Rico Dowdle – Setting a career-high in rushing yards, the Cowboy’s rushing attack has massively improved since giving Dowdle the workhorse role. He was highly efficient with his touches and owned the vast majority of the backfield.
- Chase Brown – Most of his work was through the air, including a beautiful touchdown where he toed the edge of the field for a long screen pass. Though only 14 carries, the backfield belongs to Brown, and his usage in the passing game is a welcomed sight.
- CeeDee Lamb – The only bright spot in an otherwise deplorable passing game, CeeDee accounted for over 50% of the team’s air yards. His ceiling will be capped for the remainder of this season, but he’s so talented that he produces regardless.
Three Down
- Tee Higgins – He’s been so great lately, but he had the fewest targets in a game all season in this one – plus, the defense made some great plays to shut him down. Expect him to bounce back, but I’m sure several people are out of the playoffs because of this performance.
- Jake Ferguson – Despite coming off an injury, expectations were high that he would perform well here, especially considering that the Bengals are terrible at guarding the tight end position. This should’ve been a shoo-in for at least a decent game.
- Cooper Rush – Ok, sure, he had 2 touchdowns, but CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks beat their defenders; these were lay-ups. Considering he’s a backup, props to Rush for looking better than some starters, but a 77.8 QB rating isn’t great.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 33/44, 369 Yards, 3 TD, 1 INT | 2 Carries, -2 Yards
The Joe Burrow experience is never complete without an absurd amount of targets (18) to Ja’Marr Chase – and why not? It’s working swimmingly as the LSU products are still mind-melded as ever, connecting on nearly half of all plays through this contest. Between him and Chase Brown, who came in second with 8 targets, more than half of Burrow’s throws went to the Chases, who were the clear identity of this offense. What looked to be a slow start after going three and out on their first drive, the Bengals responded to the Cowboys with great reads on plays, delivering quick strikes even when defenders would break the line and put immense pressure on Burrow. His biggest misstep was one play where he overthrew his receiver and sailed the pass straight into the arms of a defender for his only interception of the game. But hey, 3 touchdowns and 300+ yards are incredible numbers, so interception aside, he still had a phenomenal outing. Yet, miraculously, they nearly had the victory snatched out from right under them… The most important factor to note is that Burrow trusts his offense to make necessary plays and isn’t afraid to air it out as much as he needs to, being patient in the pocket and making great reads on well-executed routes. If you stacked Burrow and Ja’Marr through this season, congrats on your Week 15 playoff bye!
Running Back
Chase Brown: 14 Carries, 58 Yards | 6 Catches, 65 Yards, TD
His work on the ground was pretty solid at 4.1 yards per carry, but Chase Brown’s real damage was made through the air as the #2 option in the receiving game. He was responsible for one of the highlight catches of the game as he made a catch in the backfield, and after a great block from Andrei Iosivas, Brown walked the tightrope along the left edge for a spectacular 19-yard touchdown run. Initially declared out of bounds, the call was overturned upon review! Deservedly, he jumped into the Salvation Army bucket at the end zone (you could hear him audibly say “Nooo” before the call was reversed). He continuously got open for check-downs, broke tackles, and had tough running throughout the game to fight for extra yards and keep the offense rolling. He commands total control of this backfield and is an integral piece of this offense – and his presence was especially highlighted by the fact that Ja’Marr Chase was the only other player Joe Burrow could consistently rely on in this match.
Khalil Herbert: 2 Carries, 4 Yards | 1 Catch, 7 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ja’Marr Chase: 14 Catches, 177 Yards, 2 TD | 1 Carry, 14 Yards
This man’s chemistry and trust with Joe Burrow is ridiculous – 10 targets in the first half alone! By the end of the game, he accounted for over 40% of the team’s total targets with 18, hauling in most of them, which included 2 touchdowns. After going 3-and-out in the first drive, the Bengals retaliated to the Cowboys’ first score by marching back down the field, with Ja’Marr Chase capping off the drive with a perfectly executed route: back turned, and the ball is already out, Chase gets the front right corner, turns to make the catch and toe taps to complete a gorgeous 5-yard touchdown. His next score wasn’t until the last 2 minutes when he made the most crucial play of the game as he ran to the edge – he made the catch, dodged a defender, and booked it down a wide-open field to haul in a massive 40-yard touchdown. Keep in mind that the Cowboys were trying to cover him as much as possible, and had they not kept him constantly blanketed, Chase likely would’ve had another touchdown, but they needed two defenders to keep it from happening. Ja’Marr Chase is an absolute juggernaut; he’s completely unstoppable, and this game was another example of why he is deservedly recognized as the top wide receiver in the NFL in 2024.
Tee Higgins: 2 Catches, 23 Yards
It was a surprise to see a quiet night after he’s accounted for 23 targets, 217 yards, and 2 touchdowns over the past 2 weeks, but sometimes a wide receiver just doesn’t have his day. The defense made a couple of solid defensive plays, first by breaking up a play on a pretty catchable pass. Higgins did get one end zone look, but the ball was a little too far ahead of him, and the defense applied good coverage as Higgins reached out with one hand and couldn’t bring it in. He had one drop that should’ve been hauled in, but his other two can be credited to good defensive plays. Yes, it was disappointing, but I wouldn’t be worried that he had one down-game. It’s also worth noting that this was the fewest targets (5) he’s seen in a single game this season, so I’d write this one off as an outlier.
Andrei Iosivas: 4 Catches, 41 Yards
Again, not much to see here with Andrei Iosiavas, at least in terms of receiving production, as Ja’Marr Chase dominated the target share. He had a great intermediate catch in the center, where he got open and rescued Joe Burrow from being taken down, turning the play into a gain of 23 yards. Also, mad props to Iosivas for making a key block to open the edge for Chase Brown to make his glorious touchdown along the edge.
Mike Gesicki: 3 Catches, 24 Yards
Drew Sample: 2 Catches, 13 Yards
Tanner Hudson: 1 Catch, 19 Yards
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Cooper Rush: 16/31, 183 Yards, 2 TD, 1 INT | 2 Carries, 5 Yards
What looked like a hot start for Cooper Rush didn’t pan out in the end as he couldn’t seal the game up against an opposing offense that out-right played better football. The opening drive was a great mix of rushing and keying in on CeeDee Lamb to get the ball down the field, capping off the drive with an arching throw on 4th and 1: Rush spotted Lamb in the back corner of the end zone, aware that he had his defender beat and tossed a well placed 11-yard touchdown. He later found Brandin Cooks for his lone reception: a well-placed 3-yard touchdown on a well-played route. I’ll hand it to Rush, in terms of a backup, it could be worse, but I need to give every player a fair process as I watch them play – and Rush made plenty of mistakes that led to their eventual downfall. The biggest error was on a short pass to the left in the red zone, throwing into heavy coverage and an easy interception. He was nearly intercepted multiple times, in one case where he threw straight to a defender, and later on an attempt to Jake Ferguson – but the defender couldn’t get control. His response to pressure was to lose focus, and in one case where he avoided a sack, he failed to seize a downfield opportunity for what would’ve been a game-changing completion if he had better awareness. Welp, this is what the Cowboys will be for now – just be glad Lamb still gets enough production to be relevant.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 18 Carries, 131 Yards | 1 Catch, 10 Yards
Highly efficient on the ground, Rico Dowdle recorded a career-high in yards with a whooping 7.2 average yards per carry! And this wasn’t a case of a few big plays to skew the average; I lost count of how many times he ran straight ahead for easily gained 7+ yard rushes. He continuously rushed up the middle for chunk yardage, displaying great vision and finding seams with excellent blocking from the O-line. It’s no wonder the Cowboys decided to stop their committee approach and give Dowdle the reins to be a true workhorse. Despite not scoring, Dowdle’s rushing ability was the engine on the team that kept this contest as close as it was, as he could be trusted to get 1st downs and establish the run so Cooper Rush could attempt throws. What was interesting is how easy he made it look: the O-line opened up great running lanes, and Dowdle’s vision and awareness led him to take advantage of holes in the line for numerous plays of 10+ yards. On one play in particular, he ran to the right past his guard, found an opening, and displayed a great burst of speed, being knocked out of bounds after gaining 27 yards. With at least 18 carries and 80+ yards in each of his last three contests, Dowdle is turning into an absolute gem for playoff-bound fantasy teams.
Ezekiel Elliott: 2 Carries, 4 Yards | 1 Catch, 2 Yards
I’m sure I could write some more words here, but I don’t wanna. I mean, yeah, the dude was a legend in his heyday, but now he’s just a legend similar to that of Bigfoot in the sense that he’s rarely ever seen.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
CeeDee Lamb: 6 Catches, 93 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 1 Yard
It took little time for CeeDee Lamb to haul in the first score of the game on an arching pass after he completely outplayed the defense, getting WIDE open in the back right. Accounting for over 22% of the team’s target share, Cooper Rush knew he could trust the team’s elite receiving threat to make plays and keep the ball moving. Although 22% is okay, it’s not elite, and Lamb is an elite player. It’s a shame that his targets are on a tighter leash with backup quarterback play – the Cowboys struggle to get much going with the passing attack, but luckily, the sheer raw talent of Lamb led to a solid outing. The touchdown aside, one of Lamb’s highlights came on a play where he made a catch on the right side, broke a tackle, ran to the opposite side of the field, booked it, and took what looked to be a completely dead play and turned it into 43 yards! It’s also worth noting that Lamb was battling a shoulder injury coming into the contest and claimed to be in pain each time he landed on it, which could explain why he was most productive at the beginning of the game. He is immensely talented, but in a not-so-productive offense, the majority of his production will come from his raw capabilities as a football player, as his opportunities will continue to be lacking for the remainder of the season.
Jake Ferguson: 3 Catches, 32 Yards
Ok… Let’s start with the positive: he got wide open and made a leaping grab, then ran after the catch to gain 20 yards on the play. Now, if only he had, like, 1 or 2 more of those. I understand it’s not fair to get too picky, especially with a player returning from injury, but here’s the thing: the Bengals are ranked 32nd in fantasy points allowed to the tight end position! That’s right, dead last! You’d think they’d have had 14 weeks of the regular season to prepare for this and exploit the weakness – but here we are. Oh, Cowboys…
Luke Schoonmaker: 2 Catches, 22 Yards
With Jake Ferguson back, the TE1 void has been filled. Allegedly. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, I wouldn’t be thrilled about any of these passing options.
Brandin Cooks: 1 Catch, 3 Yards, TD
Only 1 target, but he made the most of it: wide-open back center after beating a defender (who was holding him) and brought in a nice 3-yard touchdown.
KaVontae Turpin: 1 Catch, 16 Yards | 2 Carries, 15 Yards
Hunter Luepke: 1 Catch, 5 Yards
Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)